The 2010 Premier’s Reconciliation Award has been presented to Mt St Michael’s College (MSM) and the Australian Catholic University’s Weemala Unit for a ‘friendship of students’ developed over three years.
Premier Anna Bligh presented the award to stunned school and university representatives during Reconciliation Week.
Household names like the Commonwealth Bank, Ergon Energy and Blue Care, along with Indigenous community groups, were among the finalists being considered for the honour.
Tourist ventures like Tjapukai Cultural Park in Cairns have previously held the award for their cross-cultural education.
Members of MSM’s Social Justice Council regularly meet up with ACU Indigenous students to ‘yarn’ over lunch, share experiences and learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
“This informal way of experiencing our cultures logically encourages knowledge and understanding, and it works both ways,” said Weemala’s academic coordinator Dean Duncan.
The MSM students also have supported disadvantaged students through fundraising.